Chapter 031
2025 -- H 6159
Enacted 06/10/2025

A N   A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT SECRETARIES, COURT REPORTERS, AND ELECTRONIC COURT REPORTERS

Introduced By: Representatives Craven, Noret, Knight, and McEntee

Date Introduced: April 02, 2025

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Section 8-5-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-5 entitled "Court Secretaries,
Court Reporters, and Electronic Court Reporters" is hereby amended to read as follows:
     8-5-5. Reports of superior, family and district court and traffic tribunal.
     Court reporters shall report stenographically or electronic court reporters or similar
recording personnel shall report electronically the proceedings in the trial of every action or
proceeding, civil or criminal, in the superior court, family court, district court, and traffic tribunal.
Each court reporter or electronic court reporter or similar recording personnel shall also, upon the
order of any justice of the court, transcribe or otherwise reproduce his or hertheir report to be filed
with the papers in the case. He or sheThey shall also make a transcript of or otherwise reproduce
the whole or any part of the report upon the written request, filed with the clerk, by either party to
the action or proceeding, and when completed and within the time limited by the court for filing
the transcript, shall immediately deliver the transcript to the party ordering it, or to the attorney of
record of the party, and in the case of transcription by court reporters for such service shall be paid
a reasonable compensation, not less than five dollars ($5.00) and not exceeding three dollars ($3.00)
three dollars and fifty cents ($3.50) per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) two
dollars ($2.00) per page for copies thereof, to be allowed by the court; and, in case the transcript is
used in subsequent proceedings in the cause, the cost of the transcript may be allowed as a part of
the costs. In the case of electronic court recordings the person making the recordings or another
person so designated by the court may be requested or ordered, in lieu of making a transcript, to
reproduce the recording and certify its authenticity, and in such case each party requesting the
reproduction shall pay to the court the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per cassette.
     SECTION 2. Section 8-10-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-10 entitled "Family Court"
is hereby amended to read as follows:
     8-10-37. Report of trials — Transcripts.
     Subject to the provisions of § 8-10-21, court reporters shall report stenographically, or court
recording clerks or similar recording personnel shall report electronically, the proceedings in the
trial of every action or proceeding, civil or criminal, in the family court. Each court reporter or
court recording clerk or similar recording personnel shall also, upon the order of any justice of the
court, transcribe or otherwise reproduce his or hertheir report to be filed with the papers in the
case. He or sheThey shall also make a transcript or otherwise reproduce the whole or any part of
the report upon the written request, filed with the clerk, by either party to the action or proceeding,
and when completed and within the time limited by the court for filing the transcript, shall
immediately deliver the same to the party ordering it, or to the attorney of record of the party, and
in the case of transcription by court reporters for such service shall be paid a reasonable
compensation, not less than five dollars ($5.00) and not exceeding three dollars ($3.00) three dollars
and fifty cents ($3.50) per page for originals and one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) two dollars
($2.00) per page for copies thereof to be allowed by the court; and, in case the transcript is used in
subsequent proceedings in the cause, the cost of the transcript may be allowed as part of the costs.
In the case of electronic court recordings the person making the recordings or another person so
designated by the court may be requested or ordered, in lieu of making a transcript, to reproduce
the recording and certify its authenticity, and in such case each party requesting the reproduction
shall pay to the court the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per cassette.
     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC002438
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